Furnace-grate



A. J. ALLEN & W. s. HUDSON. FURNACE GRATE.

No. 20,31 Patented May 25, 1858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. J. ALLEN AND W. S. HUDSON, OF PATERSON, NEXV JERSEY.

FURNACE-GRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,316, dated May 25, 1858.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT J. ALLEN and VVILLIAM S. Huosox, of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a newand useful Improvement in l urnace-Grates; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of the lower portion of a locomotive furnace, illustrating our invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the furnace and plan of the grate. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of two of the grate bars separate from the rest of the grate. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan of the grate removed from the furnace.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in a certain mode of applying the bars of a furnace grate to provide for a limited upward and downward movement thereof in which each bar ascends as the next one 011 either side of it descends and vice versa, which movement serves to break up the clinkers or other foreign or residuary matters that collect upon the grate and tend to choke the draft between the bars, and to cause such matters to work down between the bars into the ashpitmore effectively than by any other movement of a grate, and also serves to effect the even distribution of the fuel over the grate. The invention is applicable to furnaces using any kind of fuel but is more particularly intended for the use of anthracite or bituminous coal, and may be used with especial advantage 011 coal-burning locomotives.

To enable others to make and use our invention we will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A A A A, represent the sides front and back of the furnace.

B, B, are two rock shafts which are arranged parallel with each other transversely below the furnace to work in journal-boxes a, a, bolted to the bottom of the sides of the furnace. These rockshafts are provided each on one side with a number of short arms Z), Z), arranged at equal distances apart, and on the opposite side with a corresponding number of similar arms 6, b, of the same length, as shown in Fig. 5. The shafts may be of cast iron and the arms cast with them. The arms Z), 6, and 6, Z), of each shaft are arranged midway between each other. The distances between the said arms measured from the centers of Z), to the centers of b, are equal to the intended distances between the centers of the grate bars. The arms Z), Z), of each shaftare in line with those 6, Z), of the other shaft, that is to say the arms of both shafts which point in the same directions are in line as shown in Fig. 5.

C, C, are the grate bars, each having two slotted legs 0, and 0, cast on its under side, one 0, near one extremity and the other 0, at such a distance from its opposite extremity that when the said legs are connected to two of the arms Z), Z), 5, Z), which stand in line with each other, the two extremities of the bar will projectequal distances beyond the centers of the two rockshafts. The slots in the legs a, c, of the furnace bars receive the arms Z), Z), and those in the legs 0, 0, receive the arms 6', Z), and the connections are made between said arms and legs by means of pins (Z, (Z, which are secured in place by heads at one end, and keys at the other. By the above arrangement the grate bars which are attached to the two sets of arms 6, 6, balance those attached to the two sets of arms 6, Z) an equal number of bars being attached to each two sets of arms and the bars being all cast from the same pattern. The grate bars have projections e, e, cast on both sides, such projections being so arranged that when the bars are in their places, each one occupying a position the reverse of the one on either side of it, the said projections on one bar will be midway between those on the bar on either side of it. Vith the exception of their being furnished with these projections and with the legs 0, c, the grate bars may be of the same form as those commonly used.

The rockshafts B, B, are furnished at corresponding ends, each, with an arm f, which hangs downward, and the said arms are connected together by a rod D, which also connects them by means of pins Z, Z, with a lever E, which is arranged to work on a fulcrum g, secured to a bracket F, which is attached to one side of the furnace. By working this lever back and forth, the rockshafts are caused to rock and by that means the bars are caused to rise and fall alternately, onehalf of the number rising while the other half descends, and vice versa, and each one rising while its next neighbor on either side descends. At each side of the grate there is a lining piece G, of cast iron which is cast projections e, a, like those on the grate bars,

the said projections being arranged to stand midway between the projections e, e, on the bars, and the upper faces of said projections being in the same plane that the upper face of the grate occupies when the bars are all on a level.

H is a drop-door for letting out the fire when necessary, attached by hook hinges i, 2', to a cross-bar I, which is bolted to the bottom of the furnace.

J, is a finger shaft, arranged to work in journal boxes j, j, bolted to the bottom of the furnace and provided with a hand-crank K, at one end, by which the finger-shaft is turned to throw its fingers is, is, up or down, for the purpose of closing or opening the drop door which rests upon said fingers.

The operation of the grate is as follows In the usual condition of the grate, the bars are stationary with their faces all at the same level which is indicated by the dotted red line in Fig. 2, but when in consequence of the obstruction of the draft by the accumulation of clinkers, slate, ashes, &c., on the grate, it becomes necessary to get rid of such matters, the lever E must be moved back and forth to give the rocking motion to the shafts B, B, which give the bars a motion upward and downward and also to some extent in a longitudinal direction, but al ways moving both ends of each bar alike and preserving their parallel condition. The motion of the rockshafts should be about sufficient to give the bars an upward and downward movement of about four inches, that is to say, about two inches above and two inches below the position in which all the bars are level. Fig. 2 exhibits one-half of the bars in their highest and the other half in their lowest position; but by a single movement of the lever, the condition would be reversed: those which are now highest would be then the lowest, and vice versa. A few rapid movements of the lever E, are sufficient to clear the grate; for by the movement of the bars, the clinkers are caused to be broken up, which operation is much assisted by the action of the projections 6,6, on the sides of the bars, and of the lining pieces G, G, which are provided for this purpose; and the broken clinkers, ashes,

slate, &c., about the grate are caused to work themselves between the bars and drop through the grate. After a fresh charge of fuel has been put on the fire, it will be distributed evenly, so that the draft may be caused to be alikerat-all parts of the grate, by the movement produced by a few strokes of the lever B.

The great advantage of this method over all other methods of applying and operating grate bars with a similar object, consists in its moving all parts of the fire at the same time and to the same extent, which is not done by any other movable grate known to us. Another advantage consists in the ease with which the grate bars can be moved owing to their being arranged for one-half of them to balance the other half.

We have shown and described the method of giving motion to the rockshafts which is best adapted to the locomotive; but it is obvious that this method may, without interfering with the principle of our invention, be varied to adapt the said invention more conveniently to stationary or marine boilers.

It will be observed that the projections (6) upon one bar are arranged to lit in between the projections of its neighboring bar. It should also be observed that when one bar with its projections rises, the ashes and slag will fall under the lower edges of the projections; and when the bar descends, the said matters will be forcibly carried down, through and out of the grate. This is a great and striking advantage not known or seen in any other furnace of the kind.

e are aware that verticall risin and falling bars have been made, and we do not broadly claim them. Nor do we claim pivoted grate bars that rock laterally. These do not shake or disturb that portion of the fire which is immediately'over their axes. Nor can the fingers of such laterally rocking bars serve to forcibly carry down the refuse; because the motion of said fingers being rotary, they push the said refuse matters along horizontally. But in our improvement, the motion of the bars being vertical, any matters that lodge beneath the projections (6) are carried down as stated. And as every part of each bar is alike moved, the whole bottom surface of the fire will be agitated.

hat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v The combination together of the vertically moving furnace bars C, furnished with projections (6), when arranged and operating substantially as herein shown and described.

A. J. ALLEN. WVM. S. HUDSON. lVit-nesses TV. TUSCH, I WV. HAUrr. 

